National Republican., 1887-02-10
LKansas City Times. Feb. IL

strikingly shown than in the remarkable
development Of her street railways. From
absolutely the worst to be found any
where her street railway system has in three
years become second to none, and- In an
other year IL will be the most comprehen-
sive In the United States Besides having
the only elevated road in America outside
New York, Kansas City has four and one
half miles Of double track cable road In
operation, ten miles partially completed,
and nine miles under contract. The roads
already built and those In course of con-
struction represent an expenditure OF
S5,C00,000. in addition to these roads,
which will bring every part OF the city
within few minutes ride OF the business
center, comprehensive system ofsuburban
roads has been projected, which when
completed will make residence in the sub.
urbs almost as convenient as In the heart OF
the city.
Three years ago KansasC ity, as has been
said, boasted OF the poorest street railway
service in the world. Her system, although
II comprised ten miles of road, was wholly
inadequate. The dwarfsh mules, naturally
slow, were rendered more SO by the steep
grades. The cars were small and the com.
bination drivers and conductors were as ILL
kept as even an Indian could have wished,
In 1888 the Kansas City Cable Railway Com
paDy began the construction Of q cable line
on Eighth and Ninth streets, from Wool
land avenue to the union depot. The line
was opened for trayel in June, 1885, and
almost Immediately thereafter the company
began the construction Of an <tension from
Eighth and Woodland on Independence ave-
nue. to Prospect avenue, and later the exten-
sion on Ninth street to Prospect avenue was
commenced. Both extensions, each OF which
is one mile in length, were completed last
year. In 1886 the company began the rroost
avenue extension. The line, which is two aui
onehalf miles In length, runs from Eighth
street on Troost avenue to the city limits. Its
completion this year will give the Kansas
City Cable Railway Company seven miles of
double track road. With this line the system
will have cost 81, ,250, 900.
The Metropolitan Street Railway Com
papy, composed principally OF Boston capt
talists, which purchased Corrigan's roads
In July last for Sl,200,000, has converted
the Fifth Street and Wyandctte line into
cable road. The track is completed from
Fifth aud Walnut streets to Ninth and Mul.
prepared for the line from Mulberry street
to Wyandotte. The road, which will con.
sist OF four miles Of double track, will be
in operation from the market square
to Wyanaotte by next October. The same
company has let contracts for the Twelfth
street cable line, which will run from West
Kansas to the Porter road. The road,
which will have five miles of double track,
will be in operation by January, 1885.
These Two lines will cost the Metropolitan
Company 81, 100000.
In addition to these lines the Grand Ave
nue. Cable Railway Company last year be-
gan the construction Of the Fifteenth street
cable line, three miles in length, running
from Grand avenue to point one quarter
Of a mile east Of the Porter road. Track has
been laid from Campbell street TO Prospect
avenue, and the road will be open for travel
early in the summer.
The other east and west rapid transit line
is the elevated railroad. Work was begun
on the road last spring, and the form,,l
opening took place In 0ctobei 1t includes
one mile of steel structure, extending west
along Ninth street from st. Louis avenue,
a trestlework to the Kaw river, after which
| it becomes a surface road. The line, which
| is three miles In length, by, connection
with the Ninth Street cable roa', makes the
| time between Wyandotte and Main street,
Kansas City, about twenty rainutes. 1t
| cost S600,0O0. The company has already
| obtained the signatures OF majority OF
| property owners for a cable ne running
| from the st. Louis avenue terminus Of the
| Elevated road through tunnel on Eighth
| street to Grand avenue. The extension
| will be built this year at an outlay of $780,
| OU0, n aking the total cost OF q Interstate
Rapid Transit Company's line 81, 100000.
From this 1t will be seen that by the end
Of the present year Kansas City will ba sup
| piled with four east and west cable lines
| running from the eastern city limits to the
| Union depot, with q cable and elevated
road from Grand avenue to Wynndotte and
with cable road from Walnut street to
| Wyandotte, the latter of which lines con
| meets with the Independence Avenue horse
| car line running from Walnut street to
Woodland avenue.
In addition to the Kansas City Cable Rail-
road Company's Troost avenue extension
which will afford the residents Of the south
eastern portion OF the city direct transit tC
the junction and the Union depot, The
Grand Avenue Cable Company has already
ordered the material for the Grand avenut
cable lire. The road, work on which will
be begun as soon as the weather will per
NIT, will run from the Missouri river or
Walnut to Thirteenth street and thence on
Grand avenue to Westport, a distance o
four miles. This line also VIII be com
pleted within the present year, and will
the Fifteenth street line, built by the SAINT
company, which is composed largely o
Boston capitalists, will cost $l,250,000
|
transit facilities, the close OF the year will
see the city supplied with sly aud a hal
miles of north and south cable roads. aut
connected with its southern suburb, West
port, as 1t is with its western, Wyandotte
Summarized, the Metropolitan company
will have nine miles of double track cabl,
road, costing $l,500,000; the Kansas City
Cable Railroad Company, seven miles cost
ing 81 ,250,0C0, aud the Grand Avenue Com
mt @
twenty-three miles In all, costing $4,000
600. In addition to this tho Interstate
Rapid Transit Company will have fou
miles Of cable, elevated and surface road
costing 81 ,100, 900, making the total eXeen
diture for rapid transit lines IN the cltl
proper something over S. 000, 600.
Besides these rapid transit lines the Met
ropolitan Company has the independenc,
avenue double track horse line, one anC
one-fourth miles in length; the Broadwa,
doubletrack horse line, running frou
Sixth and Main streets to Seventeenth and
Madison avenue, distance Of one ant
one-half miles; the stock yards aud Ar
mourdale single track line, two miles II
length, running from Union avenue ani
Mulberry street on Twelfth and Bell street
to the stock yards and Armourdale, an,
the Southwest boulevard line, RUNNING
from Ninth street on Main to Nineteenth
street, and thence on the Southwest boule
ward to the state line. The metropolitan
Company has also the Eighteenth stree
line, two and one.quarter miles in leugth
running on Main from Ninth to Eighteenth
and thence ON the latter TO olive street
The company has franchise for cabl
line on these streets, and will build the lin
within two years. Until It does so tn
Eighteenth street line will use the Della
ware street line from Fifth to Niut
street thereby connecting with the Wyan
street road is the Fifth Street Electric raj
way, running from Grand avenue to Fores
avenue, distance OF one mile, whc
promises to be soon In operation. Ties
roads foot up total OF eleven miles, max
ing the mileage of rapid transit aud hors
roads thirty eight miles.
The Tenth street cable lire has not Ye
been mentioned 1t is to rdn from Mai